Montague and Capulet; or the Salt and Rose of Our Youth

by Jaydie Halperin

After the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, those who survived are left behind and must pick up the pieces. Romeo's cousin Benvolio languishes in grief and fear that he can never live up to his dead friends' legacies; Juliet's cousin Rosaline is brought home from her abbey to fill in as Capulet heiress even as she rejects any life but the one she chose. As Verona teeters on the brink of more violence and tragedy, the...

After the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, those who survived are left behind and must pick up the pieces. Romeo's cousin Benvolio languishes in grief and fear that he can never live up to his dead friends' legacies; Juliet's cousin Rosaline is brought home from her abbey to fill in as Capulet heiress even as she rejects any life but the one she chose. As Verona teeters on the brink of more violence and tragedy, the city's youth must fight to bring hope and peace before it's too late.

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Montague and Capulet; or the Salt and Rose of Our Youth

Recommended by

  • Bryan Halperin: Montague and Capulet; or the Salt and Rose of Our Youth by Jaydie Halperin
    “

    We produced a staged reading of Montague and Capulet a week following our full production of Romeo and Juliet with the same cast and crew. Not only was it a terrific experience for our community theatre performers who got a chance to continue to explore their characters with new material, but the audience also was extremely excited by the additional story and a chance to interact with new characters as well as see how some of the storylines for Shakespeare's characters wrapped up in the aftermath of the tragedy. We wish we had produced both plays fully in rep.

    We produced a staged reading of Montague and Capulet a week following our full production of Romeo and Juliet with the same cast and crew. Not only was it a terrific experience for our community theatre performers who got a chance to continue to explore their characters with new material, but the audience also was extremely excited by the additional story and a chance to interact with new characters as well as see how some of the storylines for Shakespeare's characters wrapped up in the aftermath of the tragedy. We wish we had produced both plays fully in rep.

    ”

Character Information

Four roles are written to be doubled. Lord Montague doubles with Gregory, Lord Capulet doubles with Abram, Lady Capulet doubles with Livia, and the Prince doubles with Friar John. The cast may be expanded to undouble these roles. The cast may be further expanded to include an ensemble to play background, non-speaking, roles if desired.
  • Rosaline
    Niece to Lady Capulet, Cousin to Juliet, Sister to Tybalt and Livia. A novitiate at a convent. A passionate booklover and pious woman who never quite fell into the role society had assigned to her.
    late teens or early 20s
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Benvolio Montague
    Nephew to Montague, cousin to Romeo, friend to Mercutio. Heir to Lord Montague. Grieving the loss of his friends he has retreated from any sense of happiness and feels doomed to wallow in grief. This is a stark change for everyone who knows him and it worries them.
    late teens or early 20s
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Valentina Scaligeri
    Kin to the Prince and twin sister to Mercutio. Crossdresses as Valentine. A person who does not conform to the standards of her society and does not care to. She seeks happiness but is not frivolous as she is mourning too.

    *Valentina may be played by any non cis male actor. She is, by the standards of her society, a woman but sometimes uses he/him pronouns when cross dressed. Whether this is about maintaining her disguise or this is her actual identity is up to the actor. The script uses she/her pronouns for consistency.
    Early 20s
    Any
    Female,
    Any -- not cis male,
    Non-binary -- assigned female at birth
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman,
      Non-binary
  • Allegra
    Promised a place as Juliet’s lady’s maid after the wedding and is now in limbo, following Rosaline instead. In love with Balthasar. A woman who is unafraid to go after what she wants.
    20s
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Balthasar
    Romeo’s serving man and Benvolio’s assigned friend. In love with Allegra. Non-abrasive and relatively gentle, especially with Allegra.
    20s
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Lord Capulet / Abram
    Lord Capulet: Juliet’s father, Uncle to Rosaline and Livia. Much mellowed from recent events he still seeks to impose his will on others but is moving towards a gentler version of his former self. Doubles with Abram.
    Abram: Montague’s servingman. A snarker.
    40s or 50s
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Lady Capulet / Livia D'Avella
    Lady Capulet: Juliet’s mother, Aunt to Rosaline and Livia. Devastated by recent events and hiding a secret. Doubles with Livia.
    Livia: Sister to Rosaline, niece to Lady Capulet. A more conformist woman who has found happiness in marriage and homemaking.
    Late 20s - early 30s
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • The Prince (Escalus Scaligeri) / Friar John
    Prince of Verona, kin to the murdered, Paris and Mercutio, and Valentina. Unusually emotional and impulsive and spurred on by the Lords politicking and Valentina’s worsening state to seek revenge. Doubles with Friar John.
    Friar John: a friar who is supportive of Friar Laurence but still wishes to bring joy back into Verona.
    30s
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Lord Montague / Gregory
    Lord Montague: Romeo’s Father, Uncle to Benvolio. Sorrowful but still with a politician's mind. Doubles with Gregory.
    Gregory: Capulet’s servingman.
    40s or 50s
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • The Nurse (Angelica)
    Juliet’s nurse and also acts as the Prologue. Fiercely protective of her dead charge and deeply in mourning, but still holding onto her characteristic spark.
    30s or 40s
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Friar Laurence
    A friar and lover of plants. Incredibly guilt ridden for what he has done and is somewhat willing to go on the chopping block for it.
    40s
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Peter
    A Capulet servant, fond of Rosaline. Somewhat mellowed by recent events he follows Rosaline like a sort of puppy.
    20s
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s

Development History

  • Reading, Advice to the Players, 2020
  • Reading, Second Stage- Wesleyan University , 2019